About Off the Beaten Path, LLC - The Tour Company & Owner
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Why Choose Off the Beaten Path, LLC for your next tour vacation to France? Click here to read (opens in a new window)...
Not Just a Tour: It's an Authentic Off the Beaten Path French Experience...
Unrivaled expertise within France sets Off the Beaten Path, LLC a part from non-France based and multi-destination tour companies. We are American owned and operated. And for over 17 years now, we have been offering engaging trips in France that offer the best and most inspiring itineraries throughout the French countryside. France is our sole focus and our specialty! Travelers and publications alike rate Off the Beaten Path Tours the BEST active, small group tours in France. Whether you're a seasoned small group tour traveler or new to the small group tour scene, Off the Beaten Path tours offer fun and enriching local French experiences and activities for everyone --experiences and activities that are not available to the public or other tour companies.
Expert Professional American guides who live in France, inspiring itineraries, luxurious, historical hotel accommodations, sumptuous French meals and comfortable transportation in private, spacious, professionally driven minivans are immutable standards on every Off the Beaten Path Tour. Each tour itinerary is comprised of a variety of engaging activities and enriching experiences for you to authentically discover the heart and soul of each region. You'll participate in cooking classes with our friends who are celebrity Master and Michelin-star chefs who look forward to your arrival and make you feel welcome in their homes and workshops as a group of friends. Shop at weekly village markets where we'll introduce you to our favorite olive oil and wine producers, artists, cheese-makers, herb and spice vendors, craftsmen and designers. Walk the same countryside and vineyard trails as local French do with their families, and enjoy the slow road scenery that comes with walking the back country trails through vineyards, flower fields of lavender, poppies and sunflowers, olive and fruit orchards and small historic villages. Tour castles, pre-historic caves and other historical monuments with our knowledgeable, professional Guides. Dine in the same gourmet restaurants and bistrots, as local French do, where the chefs are our personal friends, and set aside a special table uniquely to welcome you. Plus, built in leisure time provides you opportunities to pursue independent interests and activities.
Every tour offers daily options with varying levels of activeness to choose from, so you always have the flexibility of deciding how you would like your day to unfold. Your Guide sits down with your group every morning to discuss the activities, events and options of the day. With so many options available during each tour, we ensure you the flexibility to be as active as you want (more walking, less walking, shopping time, cultural discovery, etc.) and to be able to pursue your independent interests all while still enjoying the perks of traveling in a small group and participating in scheduled excursions and activities -- meaning we take care and manage the daily logistics and details while you spend your time on the important stuff -- having fun, relaxing and enjoying your vacation your way. The idea behind each Off the Beaten Path, small group tour is to appeal to the discerning traveler of all ages and backgrounds who seeks something new and different, and who wants to reach out and discover something inspiring.
Whether travelers join a regularly scheduled, small group tour to Provence, the Loire Valley, Bordeaux wine country, Champagne or Dordogne, or participate in a private, custom designed tour to one of these regions or another region of France, Christy ensures that each itinerary is inspiring, and that each traveler's experience is unique and personalized. You'll find Testimonials of guest satisfaction on both our guest feedback page and sprinkled throughout the website.
In addition to leading many tours herself, Christy has selected a handful of tour guides to work alongside her. Like Christy, all Off the Beaten Path guides are Americans with dual nationality (American-French citizenship), are multi-lingual and reside in France. They also bring a wealth of local information and history to enrich each guest's experience, and have personally been selected by Christy for their comprehensive understanding of French culture. You will find that Christy and her team of guides are wonderful traveling companions, whose knowledge and sense of fun and positive attitude make each day a wonderful experience.
• 2012 Tour Dates and Prices
• EMAIL US or CALL 1-877-846-2831 to speak with one of our tour specialists.
About Off the Beaten Path, LLC's Founder and Current President Christy Destremau
An American raised in the countryside just outside of Philadelphia, PA, Christy Destremau's story begins over 17 years ago when she settled in Provence, France, and married her French beau in a traditional Provençal ceremony. Equipped with an extensive education and background in French history, language and international relations, plus a clear understanding of French culture and traditions, Christy launched Off the Beaten Path, LLC in response to encouragement from family and friends who admired both her passion for and knowledge of this historically and culturally rich country. (Photo: Owner Christy Destremau walking in Provence, France)
As a long term resident of France, Christy Destremau is multi-lingual, holds dual nationality (American-French citizenship) and currently resides near the Loire Valley, France. Christy's extensive network of professional and personal connections in France is the key to her successfully having created itineraries that constantly set her small group tours well above and a part from other tour travel offered by both tour companies based outside of France and tour companies who have spread themselves thin by offering tours to nearly every destination worldwide. When Christy launched Off the Beaten Path, LLC 17 years ago, she made a conscious decision and commitment to focus her energy, talent and "savoir-faire" on specializing exclusively on what she knows best --active, small group luxury tour travel in France. Though many industry professionals have attempted to recruit her to broaden her tour offerings into other countries, Christy is committed to doing what she does best --sharing the very BEST that her adopted country of France has to offer with her travelers and providing the BEST active, small group tours available in the tour industry! Her commitment to ensuring exceptional and personalized itineraries, unparalled customer service and untouchable value has propelled Off the Beaten Path, LLC to the head of the industry --repeatedly being voted and awarded multiple professional accolades by nearly every top tier travel industry organization, as well as numerous travel magazines and journals worldwide.
Christy is also a published photographer, and spends her off season time traveling around France photographing the countryside. All photos published on this website, both slideshow photos and page content photos, are compliments of Christy, and reflect her passion for France, the French, and having fun sharing "all that France has to offer" with her tour guests. She also dedicates a great deal of her off season to meeting with her professional and personal French friends to develop new ideas, and to prepare new excursions and activities for each season. She is considered a leading authority on French history, traditions and culture, and has authored and edited travel articles about France for prominent travel magazines worldwide. Christy is currently working on an insider's guide to the best cafes, brasseries and restaurants in France that includes a section featuring her "all-time" favorite French Chefs.
Very Proud to Announce...
Off the Beaten Path, LLC is excited and very proud to announce that Lauriann Greene, founder and former owner of French Wine Explorers, is joining its' team beginning with the 2012 Tour season. Lauriann founded French Wine Explorers in 1999 and was president of the company until 2007 when she sold it to pursue other professional opportunities. Under Lauriann's direction French Wine Explorers was considered a leading luxury French wine tour company in the U.S. Lauriann was noted as one of the "best wine tour guides in the world" in Food & Wine Magazine. She also holds the prestigious Sommelier-Conseil degree from l'Université du Vin in France. We are thrilled to welcome Lauriann to our team in 2012! She will lead our Bordeaux Wine & Culinary Tours and some of our Best Adventures in Provence Tours alongside OTBP owner Christy Destremau.
Tour Guest Testimonials
"A short note to tell you how much I enjoyed the Provence trip and our guide. Her experience, wonderful, upbeat personality, as well as her extensive knowledge of the region made the week both educational and fun! The walk in Cassis, trying "moules frites," the cooking classes, lunch with Marc and talking about French life and culture were wonderful. I will definitely recommend your company to my friends and family, and don't be surprised if you see me on your Loire Valley trip sometime in the next year or two!" Barbara Teiger, Bloomfield, CT (Best Adventures in Provence Tour)
"Loved Cassis and having the option to go on the walk or take the boat out to see the calanques, cooking classes were each so different, and the overall travel experience was very comfortable. I loved that we didn't do touristy things! And, I really liked having a great American guide who, since she lives in France, really knows so much about the country, people and daily life. Thank you for a wonderful trip!" Diane Santarsiero, Monkton, MD (Best Adventures in Provence Tour)